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West Nile Virus outbreak 2012

West Nile virus is sweeping the United States this year. As of October 2, 2012, 48 states have reported West Nile virus activity in mosquitoes, birds or people - all but Alaska and Hawaii.

There have been a total of 3,969 human cases of West Nile virus reported, including 173 deaths. About 70 percent of all cases come from eight states: Mississippi, South Dakota, Michigan, California, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Illinois and Texas. A third of cases have been reported from Texas.

This year's cases are the highest numbers reported through the first week in October since 2003.

In this image, mosquitoes are sorted at the Dallas County mosquito lab in Dallas, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012.

Credit: LM Otero

While officials warn that Americans should wear insect repellant to protect themselves, several cities, including Dallas, have taken to aerial spraying of insecticides to kill mosquito breeding sources.

In this Aug. 20, 2012 image, a Beechcraft airplane sprays the insecticide DUET over Dallas to curb the spread of West Nile virus.

The last time Dallas used aerial spraying to curb the mosquito population, Texas' Lyndon Johnson was in the White House, Mission Control in Houston was launching Gemini missions and encephalitis was blamed for more than a dozen deaths. But for the first time in more than 45 years, the city and county resumed dropping insecticide from the air to combat the nation's worst outbreak of West Nile virus.

Credit: LM Otero

Derek Johnson, left, environmental unit supervisor, and Jeff Everett, right, an environmental technician from Oklahoma City's Storm Water Quality division of Public Works, lower a video camera into a storm drain in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, to look for evidence of mosquitoes, which could possibly carry the West Nile virus. Crews treated the manhole's mosquito infestation three days earlier with a larval inhibitor, Altosid XR. West Nile virus cases have increased this month in Oklahoma, according to the State Department of Health.

Credit: Sue Ogrocki

Derek Johnson, left, environmental unit supervisor, and Jeff Everett, right, an environmental technician, from Oklahoma City's Storm Water Quality division of Public Works, remove a video camera from a storm drain in Oklahoma City where they'd been searching for mosquitoes on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012.

Credit: Sue Ogrocki

A Beechcraft airplane sprays the insecticide DUET over Dallas County to curb the spread of West Nile virus Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012, in Addison, Texas. Storms interrupted aerial spraying last Thursday and Friday nights before spraying was resumed.

Credit: LM Otero

A Beechcraft airplane sprays the insecticide DUET over Dallas County to curb the spread of West Nile virus late Sunday night, Aug. 19, 2012, in Dallas.

Credit: LM Otero

A Beechcraft airplane sprays the insecticide DUET over Dallas County to curb the spread of West Nile virus late Sunday night, Aug. 19, 2012, in Addison, Texas. The state of Texas has about half of all West Nile virus cases in the country, health officials say.

Credit: LM Otero

Dead mosquitoes are lined up waiting to be sorted at the Dallas County mosquito lab in Dallas, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012.

Credit: LM Otero

A Beechcraft airplane sprays the insecticide DUET over Dallas to curb the spread of West Nile virus early Monday morning, Aug. 20, 2012. Storms had hindered aerial spraying attempts the weekend before.

Credit: LM Otero

Mosquito tech Spencer Lockwood sorts mosquitoes at the Dallas County mosquito lab in Dallas, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012. Officials expect more cases of West Nile virus through August and September.

Credit: LM Otero

Derek Johnson, environmental unit supervisor from Oklahoma City's Storm Water Quality division of Public Works, controls a video camera on it's trip through a storm drain in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012. Crews treated the manhole's mosquito infestation three prior with the larval inhibitor Altosid XR, and returned today to check for mosquitoes.

Credit: Sue Ogrocki

A Beechcraft airplane sprays the insecticide DUET over Dallas County to curb the spread of West Nile virus late Sunday night, Aug. 19, 2012, in Addison, Texas.

Credit: LM Otero

Mike Stuart of Dynamic Aviation describes the plane that's used for aerial spraying and it's difference from crop dusting planes, during a news conference in Dallas, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012.

Credit: LM Otero

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, center, holds a news conference in front of a plane that will be used for aerial spraying in Dallas, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012. The last time Dallas used aerial spraying to curb the mosquito population was 45 years earlier.

Credit: LM Otero

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, right, speaks as Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings looks on during a news conference in front of a plane that will be used for aerial spraying in Dallas, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012. Dallas had declared a state of emergency over the West Nile virus outbreak.

Credit: LM Otero

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings points to a map showing Dallas County and the aerial spraying against mosquitoes during a news conference in downtown Dallas, Friday, Aug. 17, 2012. Dallas County has been the epicenter of the nation's worst outbreak of West Nile virus, which has sickened hundreds.

Credit: LM Otero

A video camera is pictured in a storm drain in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012. Crews treated the manhole's mosquito infestation three days ago with the larval inhibitor Altosid XR.

Credit: Sue Ogrocki

The feed from a video camera on it's trip through a storm drain is pictured in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012 where crews searched for mosquitoes.

Credit: Sue Ogrocki

A plane that will be used for aerial spraying is rolled onto the tarmac for a news conference in Dallas, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, left, points to a map of Dallas County showing aerial spraying against mosquitoes and West Nile virus as Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings looks on during a news conference in downtown Dallas, Friday, Aug. 17, 2012.

Credit: LM Otero

Mike Stuart of Dynamic Aviation describes a plane that will be used for aerial spraying to the media in Dallas, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012. The last time Dallas used aerial spraying to curb the mosquito population, 45 years earlier, Texas' Lyndon Johnson was in the White House, Mission Control in Houston was launching Gemini missions and encephalitis was blamed for more than a dozen deaths.